358 Days Over 2: Story of Tragic Friendship
by Kiyo Seishuku
Summary: A novelization of Roxas and Xion's days in the Organization. Based off the video game, "Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days".
1. The Boy With No Name

**Disclaimer: This story is purely fan-made. Kingdom Hearts™ and all related terms are © SQUARE ENIX and Disney.**

**1 - The Boy With No Name**

Sunlight.

That was the first thing that he had noticed: the blinding light of the sun as it set over the horizon.

A manor.

It was looming behind him, blocked off by a large iron gate, and seemed to give off an eery feeling, though it looked vaguely empty. He stared at it for a moment, then turned his back to it.

In front of him was a huge grove of trees, so densely packed together he couldn't see anything beyond it but more green. Green. What a weird color.

Standing there, his back to the large manor and facing the grove of trees, he heard nothing but his own breath.

He stood there, gazing mindlessly at the trees, for hours. Or was it minutes? He really didn't know.

Just then, a large black smoke appeared before him, a hooded man stepping out of the smoke shortly before it dissipated. This caught him by surprise, but he just stood there, staring at the man and said nothing.

Nothing. Another weird word.

The man was much taller than he was, and was wearing a black hooded cloak that covered his entire body. The hood was quite low, covering the man's face in its shadow.

"You seek answers..." he said in a low, uncaring voice.

After pausing for a few seconds, the man put his arm up and conjured floating letters before the boy's face. To the boy, it spelled _AROS_, but he knew the letters were meant to face the man, so it really spelt _SORA_. Sora... The word sounded strange, but vaguely familiar...

"I can give you purpose..."

The man then waved his hands, causing the letters to spin around, rearranging themeselves. After a few more seconds, the man put his hand out again, causing a large _X_ to appear before the boy.

Using pulling gestures, the man arranged the other letters so that the _X_ was in the middle.

The word, to the boy, now spelled _SAXOR_. Remembering where the word was facing, he read it right-to-left. After doing so, he realized what the word was.

"Roxas..." the boy said quietly, rehearsing his new name.

The man then looked up, revealing his stern face and grey hair.

"That is right" he said to Roxas. "The new you."

"New... me...?" Roxas was dumbfounded by this statement. "Who... was I... before...?"

The man made a strange 'ha-ha' sound. "That... is of no use to you."

This further confused the newly-born boy. How could his previous life (which made no sense to him) be irrelevant?

Looking down at Roxas, the man realized his confused face.

"If you will join us..." he said, slightly alarming Roxas, "We will give you purpose to live."

A purpose to live? It still made no sense to Roxas.

"What shall be your answer? Even if Luxord can freeze time, I've not the patience to wait, boy."

Thoughts flooded Roxas's mind. It had all happened just too fast. The man, his name, a decision. No, not _a_ decision. _The_ decision.

"...Yes..." he finally said weakly.

"Wise choice. I hope you will like the Castle. But first-"

The man was interrupted as black smoke appeared beside him - exactly the same that had appeared when he entered unexpectedly.

As the smoke disipitated, another man in an identical outfit stepped out, but he looked drastically different from the first man.

In contrast to the first man's dark gloomy expression, the new man had a cheerier look, smiling sleekly. His red hair was spiky and pointed out in all directions. Under his eyes was black make-up shaped like triangles. In his hand, he wielded what looked like red, spiked sircular objects.

"Well, if it isn't the _new_ guy. You sure are fast, aren't ya, boss?"

The "boss" turned around and looked at the other man grimly. "And what, tell, brings you here when you have a mission to take care of?"

The other man smiled even more. "Well... I was thinking that maybe I could show the newbie around a little, you know... To lighten him up a little? I mean look at him, he looks like he's been out in the sun too long." He made more of the 'ha-ha' sounds, but his sounded... stranger.

"And what of your mission?"

"Already taken care of."

"Hmph. Very well. Just don't dawdle too long, or you and your colleague _will_ be in the sun too long."

"Okay, sir. Got it, sir."

The first man looked at Axel for a few more seconds, then back at Roxas. "Hmph." He put his hand out, causing more of the black smoke to appear. He stepped into it, and when the smoke had dissipitated, he was gone.

"Well," said the remaining, cheerful man, "let's get down to the basics. You know what my name is?"

Roxas shook his head weakly. "No..."

"Heh, I knew you'd say that. The name's Axel. A-X-E-L." He then pointed to his forehead. "Got it memorized?"

Roxas nodded. "I think so..."

Again the man made those 'ha-ha' sounds. "You're alright for a zombie, kid."

A few minutes later, the two were sitting atop of a tall clock tower, gazing at the beautiful endless sunset and eating sea-salt ice cream.

Axe hadl taken Roxas through the grove to a small town. As they walked past, Roxas spotted three children around his age, running around, yelling and making more 'ha-ha' sounds. Axel just put his hand on Roxas's shoulder and told him to just keep walking.

At a small store near the tower, Axel bought both of them 'sea-salt ice cream'.

"What's this...?" Roxas had said.

"Sea-salt ice cream. It's food. Very tasty food." Axel said happily.

"Food... You mean... We eat it...?"

"Of course. Maybe you'll even like it."

Up on the clock tower, Roxas gazed out at the sun and orange sky. Soon he felt something sticky in his hand. Axel noticed this and faced Roxas.

"Hey, c'mon, eat your ice cream. It's already melting."

Roxas looked at Axel, then down at his the ice cream in his hand. Slowly, he raised it up to his mouth, and took a small bite.

"How's it taste?" asked Axel before taking another bite out of his own ice cream.

"It's sweet... But salty, too."

"Good, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I'm sure this won't be the last time you'll be tasting it."

With that, they both took a bite of their ice cream and gazed wonderously at the setting sun.


	2. An Unwelcoming Welcome

**Sorry about the delay. I had some things to deal with.**

**2 - An Unwelcoming Welcome**

After finishing their ice cream (and Roxas cleaning some of it off his hand), Axel conjured the strange black smoke he and the "Boss" had used earlier.

"What... is that...?" asked Roxas, pointing at the black smoke before him.

"Oh, this?" replied Axel, scratching his head. "This is a portal to the **Corridors of Darkness**. Me and the Boss and the others use it to go from place to place. Now c'mon, we gotta get going!"

The Castle was quite plain; the walls and stairs (of which there were many) were dull grey, and it seemed disturbingly silent, despite being quite large. Outside the large mechanical door, Roxas could see an urban city, filled with skyscrapers reaching up to the moonless night sky.

"Welcome to the **World That Never Was**, or **WTNW** for short" said Axel as he put his hand on Roxas's shoulder. "And this is the **Castle That Never Was**, or **CTNW**. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah..." The two names flooded Roxas mind as he gazed at the skyscrapers. "Why... 'Never Was'...?"

"Well... Let's just say they're, uh, incomplete in some ways..."

An incomplete world. It sounded strange to Roxas.

There was a moment of silence before it was broken by Axel. "Well," he said, "Time to try on your uniform. Let's see if it fits."

From his pocket he produced a black cloak identical to his but smaller in size. After a few seconds, the cloak covered Roxas from shoulder to toe.

"Perfect fit!" exclaimed Axel. "We better get going now. They're expecting us."

They? Roxas wondered how many others in black cloaks there would be.

Axel began climbing up the stairs, signaling Roxas to follow suit.

After several flights of stairs (and Roxas tripping on his uniform), the duo reached a large grey door. On the door was a sumbol that was identical to Roxas's sweater zipper, which confused him.

"Ah, the **Round Room**" said Axel slightly mockingly. "Now, don't talk unless you're asked to, and listen to everything the Boss says-"

He was interrupted by something both he and Roxas saw in the shadows. A small, ink-black ant-like creature was looking intently at Roxas with its beady yellow eyes. Almost as quickly as they noticed it, the creature dashed towards Roxas.

"Roxas!" yelled Axel, his circular weapons appearing in his hand. But it was too late; the creature lunged at Roxas's face.

"Agh!" screamed Roxas in fear, holding up his arms over his face.

However, a second before the creature's would-be impact, a bright light shone from Roxas's right hand, where a large golden key materialized. Involuntarily, Roxas swung the key at the creature, swiping it away in surprise.

When the creature hit the ground, it turned into black smoke that quickly dissipitated before Roxas, who was still dumbfounded at what had happened.

"Well, well!" said Axel, clapping softly. "You _can_ use the **Keyblade**!"

"Key... blade...?" Roxas stared at it for a moment, before it suddenly disappeared the same bright flash.

"The Boss'll explain. We need to enter that room _now_."

They stepped up to the door, Roxas slightly ahead. As they approached, the door opened, revealing the strangest room Roxas had seen in his few hours of life.

The room was still dull grey, as with all other rooms of the Castle. But it was instead circular, with thirteen high chairs of different height. On them sat ten men and one woman, all of different appearance but with the same black uniform, one of them being the Boss.

Roxas paused for a moment, twenty-two eyes glaring at him. Axel nudged him to go on until he reached the middle of the room.

The boy looked up until he met the emotionless eyes of the Boss, who had his hand under his chin.

"Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's **Chosen**" he boomed. "Number Thirteen, the Key to Destiny... Roxas."

There was a short silence afterwards, followed by applauding.

As the applaud died down, the Boss once again spoke, "We welcome you to **Organizaiton Thirteen**, young member. Let us hope you will prove a useful asset in reaching the **Goal**."

Again, there was much applauding, but this time, Axel was seated on one of the chairs. Roxas guessed he used the Corridor of Darkness.

"Come now," said the Boss, "Take your throne."

He put his hand forward, causing a portal to appear before Roxas. He hesitated for a moment, then finally entered the portal and emerged sitting on the shortest throne.

The Boss then said, "Now, we've some business to discuss."

He (and occasionally a few others) began speaking of "business", though Roxas couldn't quite follow. He could only make out that there was trouble with something called a "**Heartless**".

After the discussion, the others left one by one, until only Roxas and his Boss remained.

The Boss looked at Roxas sternly, but calmly. "We can only expect the best out of you" he said. He held out his hand towards him. "Dismissed".

A portal appeared on Roxas, who was still looking at his Boss's grim face. In a matter of seconds, it enveloped him, and he was gone.


	3. The Dark Meridian

**3 - The Dark Meridian**

Roxas spent the next few days of his early life wandering about the Castle.

It was much more expansive than Roxas had previously imagined, and he more than often found himself getting lost for hours on end until he went to bed.

He had wondered if the other Organization Members, as they had called themselves, would restrict him from doing his little exploration. However, the only Members that seemed interested in his actions were Axel, and perhaps the Boss.

When he did encounter another Member (which was rare), they more often than not took a good glance at him, then went on their way like he never existed.

One Member, No. XI Marluxia, seemed to especially take interest in Roxas's Keyblade.

"Ah, good timing, No. XIII" he had said to Roxas as they met each other on a large glass balcony. "May I examine your Keyblade?"

The Keyblade Wielder held up his hand, light gathering in his hand, materializing, until he held the golden yellow handle of the Keyblade.

"Yes..." Marluxia said, covering his mouth with his hand, "The Keyblade shall truly serve the Goal..." He then went on his way.

The day after, No. XII Larxene had been disgusted at Roxas's presence. "Ew, why're you here?" asked the womanly Member. "Scram, you little squirt."

As he left the vincinity, Roxas turned around to see Larxene talking openly to Axel. She made some more of the strange 'ha ha' sounds that Roxas couldn't understand, but there was something about hers that was more... How could he describe it? Agitated.

It continued on like this until his sixth day of life, where he was called to the Grey Area. It was a large, rectangular room containing glass tables and bland grey couches that the other Members occasionally lounged on. On the usual grey walls were big glass windows looking out upon the moonless sky of the World That Never Was.

Awaiting the new Member was the Boss's second-in-command, No. VII Saïx. He wore the usual black trench coat uniform of the Organization, covering almost all of his body below his head. His hair was long and electric blue, reaching down to his proud back. His scarred face accompanied a moody and stern expression. Looking at his grim, cold eyes, it didn't take Roxas long to figure out why Saïx was high-ranking.

He gave Roxas a small smile before greeting, "So, No. XIII arrives. The Superior has been away for several days, and wishes to speak to you before he returns."

He held out his right hand, summoning a Dark Corridor to Roxas's left.

"He expects you now. Return as soon as your meeting is over. We don't need you to disappear before you're a week old."

Roxas nodded weakly, then stepped into the Corridor hesitantly. Slowly, it enveloped him, until he vanished from the Castle altogether.

The first thing that came into view was the cloudy, moonlit sky. It was dark, but not as dark as TWNW, for the moon shone like a reminiscent of the sun.

All around were large tree branches, reaching deep into the inky black water that was so still, so silent and unmoving.

Sitting on a rock was a familiar hooded man, looking sternly at Roxas, who also put on his hood and slowly walked over to him.

"I've been to see him" stated the man in a deep voice. "He looks a lot like you."

A lot like me? Roxas was befuddled once again. A person that looked like him... Who could that be?

"Who are you?" asked Roxas, realizing he had never been told his name.

"I'm what's left" replied the man, staring blankly at the still, black ocean before him. "Or... Maybe I'm all there ever was."

"I meant your name."

"My name is of no importance." answered the man, a bit bitterly, before looking back at the boy before him. "What about you? Do you remember your true name?"

His true name? Roxas felt like he should know the answer, but somehow, he didn't.

"My true name is..."

"You have been with us for six days now." The man pulled put his hood down as he stood up and walked toward Roxas.

"The time has come..."

He passed by Roxas, heading toward the Dark Corridor. As he did, he placed a gloved hand on the confused boy's shoulder, muttering a name that was vaguely familiar to Roxas.

The man disappeared into the Corridor, but Roxas stayed a few moments longer.

Across the dark ocean, there was a faint sound. A familiar voice - something that felt so familiar, but at the same time, it was not. A young woman's voice...

He looked across the ocean, seeing nothing but more water, and the night sky.

Then, he pulled his hood down more, and let the Dark Corridor consume him.


	4. XIV

**4 - XIV**

Roxas awoke on his seventh day of life, staring at his plain grey room and white bed for a few minutes.

Outside the window was the moonless sky of WTNW, skyscrapers reaching up into the skyline.

He stretched and got up abruptly, his feet hitting the ground harder than it should have.

As he wiped his eyes and yawned, he realized he barely remembered the events of the day before.

He knew he had talked to a man in a black coat, something about a name... And a voice that was familiar to him.

As Roxas thought this over, he realized he remembered the days before that even less; he couldn't remember anything from his first day, but he still remembered some of the other Members' names, more prominently Axel. What had been his part again? Roxas didn't know.

He walked down the hallway clumsily, attempting to adjust hood as he arrived in the Grey Area.

Larxene looked up from a couch and greeted him with an, "Ew, you're awake?"

A more high-ranking member, Xigbar, greeted him more kindly: "Hey, Roxas. Welcome to the program, as they say."

In the middle of the room stood Saïx, wearing the same expression from the day before. To his left stood Axel, gazing out the window.

Roxas walked over to him as Axel turned around to face the new Member.

"Heya Roxas."

Roxas just stared at the ground.

"Something I can help you with there, chatterbox?"

Again, Roxas gave no reply, as Axel crossed his arms in deep thought.

"Ah, I remember now. We were supposed to convene in the Round Room. Blegh, meetings..."

The room sounded familiar to Roxas, tilting his head as he tried to remember. "Round.. Room..?"

"Yup. Apparently the boss man's got some big news. Wanna head over there now?"

"Okay."

"Alrighty then. Follow me."

"What is... the boss's name...?"

"What, no one told you yet? Ugh, you gotta be kidding me... It's Xemnas. X-E-M-N-A-S." Axel pointed to his forehead, smiling mockingly. "Got it memorized?"

"I... I think so..."

"Heh, funny as ever, man."

They walked over to Saïx, who announced today's events. "Today's is an important meeting. I expect everyone to be there."

Axel smirked. "Yeah yeah, me and Roxas are gettin' there."

"Then go ahead, if you are so keen today."

"Fine. C'mon, Roxas."

Axel conjured a Dark Corridor to his right, gesturing Roxas to follow him. They both were enveloped in the shadows, and appeared seated on their respective thrones in the Round Room.

Soon, the other members appeared, some quite later than others. The last to arrive was Xemnas, as his voice boomed over the room.

"Good tidings, friends. Today is a momentous day. A new one has been chosen to wear the coat."

From a Dark Corridor emerged a figure of about Roxas's height and stature, wearing the uniform of the Organization, hood over their face. They walked slowly towards the center of the room, looking up at the Members.

"No. XIV" introduced Xemnas, as he studied the new Member coldly.

Roxas looked at her, and was hit with a sudden memory.

"Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's Chosen."

He was looking at the ground in the same position as the new Member, Axel behind him.

The memory then faded as the new Member looked at Roxas, smiling at him. Roxas gasped in surprise.

Xemnas called everyone's attention again. "I expect everyone to welcome both of our new Members kindly to the Organization. No. XIII and XIV shall begin work soon."

He waved his hand. "Dismissed."

No. XIV looked at Roxas again and smiled before wandering back into her Dark Corridor.

The other members disappeared one by one, until Roxas and Xemnas remained.

"You and No. XIV..." Xemnas said to Roxas softly, "I expect both of you to be great assets to us all."

He put his hand out toward Roxas, creating a Dark Corridor to consume him.

Roxas emerged in the Grey Area, where some members were just lounging about, as if nothing had happened.

Axel and No. XIV weren't there; probably dealing with something, Roxas thought.

Before Roxas could walk back to his room, Saïx walked over to him, carrying a pad of paper and a pencil.

"Roxas," he called, "I've got an activity for you to fulfill."

Roxas turned around. "Yes?"

"Have you ever heard of a diary?"

"No..."

"Well, here is your chance to learn. A diary is a writing of one's story through life, a chronicle of one's adventures." Saïx held up the pad and pencil. "And I would like you to make one for yourself, with these tools."

"You're gonna... Check it?"

"Oh, no. Diaries are a private thing, No. XIII. But perhaps by expressing your view of the day, you'll discover more about yourself."

Discover more about himself... Perhaps a diary wouldn't be a bad idea.

"So, shall you begin your entry for today?"

Roxas looked at the papers and nodded. "Yes."

Saïx handed Roxas the pad and pencil, and dismissed him to his room.

Roxas followed Saïx's orders, staring at the pencil and pad as he walked down the empty hallway to his small room.

On the cover was the Organization's strange insignia. Under it, in cursive, was _Chronicles of -_. Roxas held the pencil in his right hand, and (rather messily), wrote his name on the line.

He then opened the pad to the first page. On the first line, he wrote _Day_ _Seven_.

Lying in bed, Roxas thought through the past events of the day, and began writing his first diary entry:

_It's been a week since I got here. Saïx told me to keep a diary, but he said _

_nobody would check it. What am I supposed to write about?_

_Today they told us to go to the Round Room, where we met our new member, _

_No. XIV. Was I like that when I first got here? I think I was. But I don't _

_remember too well._

He read through it, and decided it was enough for today. He closed it, placing it on a grey sidetable.

He stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandering to the many questions he had about his life. Slowly, he fell asleep.


	5. A Tradition's Beginning

**5 - A Tradition's Beginning**

On the eighth day, as always, Roxas awoke and made his way to the Grey Area, where Saïx and a few other Members were always there to greet him.

This day, however, Saïx immediately walked up to No. XIII, still expressing no joy at all.

"Roxas, your work begins today. I will issue missions, which the Organization expects _you_ to carry out.

Missions... He had to do missions? His mind drifted to thinking of what a mission was, as Saïx just gave a slight grin as Roxas "spaced out".

"Think of these early missions as excercises" said Saïx as Roxas snapped back to attention. "You will still have much to learn before we can put you to a real test." He looked over at Axel, as Roxas thought deeply again.

"Axel will be joining you on your first time out. Isn't that right, Axel?"

The red-haired Member stood up from the window, and walked over to Saïx. A look of disappointment was on his face, which Roxas noted as unusual.

"Oh boy..." he complained, scratching his head. "Are you making me the kid's mentor now?"

"Surely you wouldn't mind showing Roxas the ropes? Roxas, come see me when you're ready to go."

Roxas nodded as Saïx walked back to his original position.

Axel looked back at Roxas. "Well, you heard the man. Starting today, I'm your babysitter" he stated mockingly. Roxas said nothing once again.

"Sheesh... Quit acting like a zombie and let's get this show on the road. Just talk to Saïx when you're set to go." He turned around and gazed out the window. As usual, thought Roxas.

He looked around the room and was shocked to see No. XIV standing by the room's exit. They still had their hood on, covering their face in its shadow.

Roxas walked over to them awkwardly, and looked at them. No. XIV returned the glance, but neither said anything.

Roxas then walked over to No. VI Zexion, sitting leisurely on a couch, book in hand.

"No. XIV's name..." he muttered, "I wonder if it bears some significance."

Roxas decided he had wasted enough time, and walked back over to Saïx.

"Are you ready to go?" Saïx asked.

"Okay."

Axel heard their conversation and walked over, smirking.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure he makes the grade." He looked over at Roxas. "C'mon, Roxas."

The confused member didn't return a reply, staring at the ground.

Axel noticed first. "What's wrong? Are you worried about the new kid? What was that name again..."

"No. XIV, Xion" answered Saïx.

"Right, I knew that."

Roxas repeated the name, "Xion."

"Got it memorized, Roxas?"

"...Yeah."

"Your sure? How about my name?"

"It's Axel."

"And our boss's name?"

"Xemnas."

"Very good, Roxas!" congratulated Axel teasingly. "No way you're gonna forget his name, right? Now, let's get moving." He conjured a Dark Corridor, which he and Roxas entered.

The two emerged in a dimly lit passageway, gates and leveling ground surrounding them.

"Alright," said Axel, bringing the gazing Roxas to attention, "Let's start by talking about what we do on missions. Ahem. Missions are... uhh.. you know... Hrm."

Roxas stared at the ground once again, Axel scratching his head in thought.

"You know what?" said the older Member. "Talking is dumb. Let's just go ahead and get our hands dirty, shall we? Follow me."

He summoned his spiked circular weapons, and walked up a flight of staris to an archway.

Roxas ran toward him, up the stairs and halted before Axel.

"There ya go" congratulated Axel.

"Thanks."

"But don't go thinking you can just run and jump your way through every mission. You've gotta BE AWARE."

"What... what do you mean?"

"You hafta look around. Sometimes what you're looking for is sitting right under your nose. Got it memorized?"

Roxas nodded slowly. "Y... yeah, I think so."

"All right, then" said Axel, spinning his twin weapons. "Time for a little road test. There's a treasure chest somewhere in these passages. I want _you_ to find it."

Roxas looked up in slight disbelief. "That's all I have to do?"

"I know, don't hurt yourself. Anyway, remember to look around."

Roxas nodded as they set off in single file, Roxas in front. They traversed through the passageway silently, until Roxas encountered a tunnel blocked off by intersecting black and white electric bolts. He stopped and looked at it.

"Axel... What's this?"

"A barricade. It means you're not supposed to go this way."

"You mean nothing's down there?"

"Yeah, that's the gist of it. They're set up to keep us on task. That, or out of trouble. I mean, hello, look at it. Big, meanacing, _X_? I'll take the beaten path, thanks."

Roxas looked through the barricade. At the end of the blocked tunnel was a faint orange light, perhaps sunlight. He stared at it a bit longer before setting off down the tunnel, Axel behind him.

As the duo walked down the passageway, nearly all of the exits were barricaded, making a complex-looking underground passage actually a single path.

The path ended in front of one of the exits, labelled _#5_, where a rectangular red container lay near a wall. Roxas looked at it.

"Is this the chest?" he asked.

"Sure is!" exclaimed Axel. "Well done."

Roxas stood there for a minute, just staring at the red container.

"Um, what are you waiting for?" asked Axel impatiently.

"The mission was to find the chest" answered Roxas matter-of-factly. "Aren't I done?"

Axel grinned, delighted in Roxas's limited knowledge. "Um, Roxas... There's this thing about chests. They have stuff _in_ them."

"So I should open the chest?"

"Yes, that is generally what we do."

The younger Member bent down and placed both hands on the chest. Slowly, he pushed up the chest's lid, revealing a bottle containing a green liquid. Roxas picked it up and read the small label on its side: _POTION: Use for small wounds._

"Good work!" congratulated Axel. "You can keep what you found. All right, time to RTC."

Roxas stood up, putting the Potion in one of his pockets. "RTC?"

"Return to the Castle. Go ahead, lead the way back to the dark corridor that brought us here."

Roxas nodded in response and lead the way back. During the walk back, he took out the Potion and glared at the bottle for a moment, then placed it back in his pocket.

When they reached the Dark Corridor whence they came from, Axel began clapping, slightly alarming his student.

"Bravo" Axel praised. "So whaddaya think? Got the hang of this mission business?"

"Uh-huh."

Axel scratched his head. "I'm sorry, speak up? Cooouldn't quite catch that."

"I said..."

"Hmm?"

Roxas turned around, a slight hint of teasing in his young eyes. "I could have done that blindfolded."

"Ha ha! I dunno if I want a blindfolded zombie on the loose. All right, smart aleck, you did good. And no successful mission is complete without a little icing on the cake." Axel gestured towards a now unblocked tunnel. "C'mon." He began walking towards it, but Roxas stopped him.

"But... Don't we have to RTC?"

The older Member turned around and looked at Roxas inquisitively.

"Later. Don't you remember our hangout?"

"Uh..." Their hangout... Another puzzle for Roxas.

"Ugh, looks like you don't remember anything. Just c'mon, follow me."

A few minutes later, the two Members sat on a large clock tower overlooking a town that brought nostalgia to Roxas, but he didn't know why.

The two had walked through the town. As they did, Roxas saw three familiar teenagers around his age, chasing each other and making 'ha ha' sounds like Axel and a few other Members.

Axel had stopped at a small shop near the clock tower, and ordered two blue-coloured sweets on a wooden stick. Somehow, Roxas recognized the kind lady that handed Axel the sweets.

Now, Roxas sat silently but contently, staring at the very familiar sunset. Axel took a quick glance, then turned toward Roxas and handed him a sweet.

"Here ya go" said the red-haired Member. "The icing on the cake."

Roxas took it, but said nothing. Axel took a bite, then looked back at his colleague.

"You remember what this ice cream is called?"

"Umm..." Roxas looked at his ice cream.

"It's sea-salt ice cream. C'mon, I told you already once. Get it memorized, man."

Roxas looked at Axel, who took another bite before looking at the sunset. Roxas followed suit, surprised at the pleasingly familiar taste.

"It's really salty..." he stated, looking back at the sunset, "But sweet, too."

"Ha ha. Roxas, you said the exact same thing the other day."

"I did? I don't remember that."

"Hey, what has it been, a week since you showed up?"

"Maybe."

"'Maybe'? C'mon, you must remember that much."

Roxas took another, bigger bite of his ice cream, giving no response.

"Well, that's okay. Today's where it all really begins, anyway."

"Yeah?" Roxas looked at Axel.

"Sure! Here you are, out in the field, working for the Organization... Today, you're one of us."

Roxas took another bite and felt a strangely pleasing feeling in him. "I guess it's a start."

They both ate up their ice cream, looking at the glorious sunset they had both experienced a week before.


	6. No Hearts

**6 - No Hearts**

On the ninth day, Roxas got up tiredly from bed, and walked silently to the Grey Room, still carrying the Potion from the day before.

Awaiting him were Saïx and Marluxia, the one who seemed to fancy the Keyblade. Marluxia contrasted Saïx not only in his light red hair, but also his slight smile. They both walked up to No. XIII.

"Roxas," Saïx greeted, "Today you will be working with Marluxia. Come see me when you are ready." Saïx walked away as Marluxia looked back at Roxas.

"Well, there you have it" he said gently. "Welcome to fold, Roxas. We'll set out once you're ready."

Roxas nodded, then went over to the nearby couch. Sitting there was Demyx, playing his sitar as per usual. No. IX looked up, grinning at the new Member.

"So, uh...you play any instruments?"

Roxas shook his head.

"No? ...Never mind."

In a corner of the room was Vexen, thinking silently to himself, grinning evily. He looked at Roxas as the boy apporached him.

"A Keyblade wielder... This could prove quite enlightening."

Now that Roxas had no one else to speak to, he reported to Saïx and Marluxia.

"I'm ready."

Saïx looked over at Marluxia. "Be sure he doesn't get hurt too badly."

"I will try my best, sir" replied Marluxia.

Saïx conjured a Dark Corridor to his right. Roxas and Marluxia walked over to it, and were eneveloped in the darkness.

The two emerged in the town Roxas and Axel had visited the day before. The sun was still setting, as if no time had passed at all. This time, Roxas and Marluxia were standing in a wide open space surrounded by houses. There were three exits, each leading to alleys or sidestreets.

Marluxia caught ahold of Roxas's attention. "Roxas, was it? I never properly introduced myself. I am Marluxia, No. XI." He brushed back a lock of his hair.

"Okay" responded Roxas. "So what do I have to do today?"

"Today, your job is to collect hearts."

Roxas was confused. What was a heart? "Um, how do I do that?"

"Roxas, could you summon your Keyblade for me?"

"Well... Sure, all right."

He held up his right hand, creating a flash of light. In seconds, Roxas was holding the handle of his strange weapon, the Keyblade. Marluxia stared at it greedily.

"Lucky Number XIII..." he muttered, "At last, a chosen wielder of the Keyblade amongst our ranks."

Roxas opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

A few feet away, dark smoke gathered and quickly dissipitated, revealing several ant-like creatures, completely ink-black save for their beady yellow eyes. Something about them was familiar to Roxas. Strangely, Roxas felt the impulse to swipe the creatures away with his Keyblade.

"Whoa, what are those?" he asked, clearly surprised.

Marluxia glared at the creatures. "Hmph, nothing to be feared." He turned back to Roxas. "So, Roxas, shall we put that power of yours to a little test? Use your Keyblade... And defeat those Heartless."

Roxas nodded quickly, then ran up to the "Heartless". In response, the creatures walked slowly around Roxas, perhaps taunting him. Roxas swung his Keyblade at one, sending back several feet. Quickly, he ran up to it before it could regain balance and swung again, causing the Heartless to dissipitate into black smoke.

He repeated this process until one Heartless remained. He swung his Keyblade at it, but it turned into sunk into the ground like a shadow, dodging the large key. The Heartless went around Roxas and re-emerged behind him and striked his back with black claws. Roxas stumbled back in pain, dropping the Keyblade.

"Do not give in, Roxas!" yelled Marluxia. "Get back on your feet, and prove to me your worth!"

No. XIII did as he was told and got up. However, a terrible pain struck his back, and he realized the claw had given him a deep scratch.

He grabbed his back in pain, when he remembered the Potion, still untouched in his pocket, waiting to be used.

With his left hand, he took the bottle out. _Do I rub it on the scratch or drink it?_ he thought. Looking at the bottle, it seemed to be in a shape so as to be drunken from. He took off the cap, and chugged down the sweet green liquid inside. Instantly, the pain began to fade, eventually vanishing altogether.

The Heartless jumped at Roxas as he put the empty bottle back in his pocket, but the target quickly ducked, causing the attacker to miss and fall clumsily on its back. Roxas used this chance to pick up his Keyblade and run quickly to his enemy. With a single, harsh blow from the Keyblade's sharp blade, the Heartless was thrown back several feet into a wall and vanished into dark smoke.

The boy returned to Marluxia by the benches, panting.

"Good" Marluxia congratulated. "Those Heartless are called **Shadows**."

Roxas looked up from the ground, regaining his breath. "But what are Heartless?"

"Dark creatures who roam about, searching for hearts. They come in two larger varieties. The ones you just defeated are known as **Purebloods**. Purebloods don't release any hearts when you defeat them. In other words, don't bother with them. Your mission is to collect hearts, after all. The other variety-"

Marluxia was interrupted by sudden black smoke in the distance, dissipitating quickly to reveal small, hovering creatures in little cloaks and hats. On their chests was a logo consisting of a black heart crossed out in red.

"Hmph..." Marluxia said, glaring at the unwelcome visitors. "Is right over there. Forget about the Shadows. Take these out, Roxas. They are your real targets."

Roxas nodded at his teacher again before running up to the new Heartless.

They flew around him and glared with the same beady yellow eyes as the Shadows did. He struck one twice, easily felling it. The other three responded to hsi action, and a began gathering electricity in a ball above their heads.

Each of the Heartless fired their balls of electricity into the sky. Just a second after, three bolts of lightning rained down on the ground, narrowly missing Roxas.

The Keyblade Wielder decided it would be best not to get electrocuted, and began swinging his Keyblade quickly at them.

A minute later, all four Heartless had faded into black smoke. This time, however, Roxas noticed a strange, glowing pink object being released from each Heartless as they were defeated. They floated up into the sky, higher and higher until they vanished from view. Looking at them, Roxas felt strange things he had never felt before.

He returned to Marluxia, who gave him a slight smile. "Those were called **Emblem Heartless**.

"Why are they so special?"

"Did you notice? Hearts appeared when you defeated them?"

"Right..." So those strange pink objects were hearts...

"Your job is to collect those hearts."

Roxas was a heart collector? It sounded a strange task to him. "Is there any trick to it?" he asked.

"None. So long as the Heartless are felled by your weapon, the Keyblade, the hearts will be captured."

"I see. And what happens to the hearts I collect?"

"They will gather as one, and create an almighty force known as Kingdom Hearts."

An almight force made of hearts... "Which is... good, right?"

"Completing Kingdom Hearts is the Organization's primary objective. And to do that, we need all the hearts we can possibly find."

"So that's what the Organization does? Collect hearts?" He wondered why Kingdom Hearts was so important to the Members.

"Actually, you are the first to accomplish it."

The first to do so? _Strange_, thought Roxas, _then what do the others do?_. "Wait, then-"

"The rest of us can defeat Heartless, but we have no way of collecting the hearts they release. Eventually, the hearts will turn right back into Heartless. You see, then, how special you are?"

"Hmm..." The blonde Member put his hand over his mouth as he thought.

Marluxia, meanwhile, looked at Roxas greedily. "With power like yours-"

He was interrupted yet again as more Emblem Heartless appeared. Marluxia glared at them devilishly.

"Heh. Here comes more. Each one is a gift, Roxas. Squeeze every last heart out of them!"

Roxas summoned his Keyblade again and ran to his targets. He swung his Keyblade again and again, slaying them much faster than last time. More hearts were released as the Keyblade Wielder watched them float to the sky.

He returned to Marluxia, who was smiling at his student. "Excellent, Roxas. Your work today is done. I am amazed." He looked over greedily to Roxas's right, where the new Member held the Keyblade in his right hand. "That Keyblade..." Marluxia muttered to himself, "The things that could be done with that sort of power..."

"Umm..."

"I have high hopes for you, Roxas- as do we all. Defeat the Heartless, and help the Organization reach our noble goal."

"Um, all right..." Roxas at least now knew what his job was.

'Shall we RTC?" asked Marluxia, flicking back his hair again.

Roxas nodded as the Dark Corridor consumed them, Marluxia still looking at the strange weapon in Roxas's hand.

_Roxas's Diary - Day 9_

_The past few days, the other members have been showing me how to fight and do mission stuff. They also told me more about the Organization, and about myself.I still don't really get what a "heart" is. But apparently, it's a vital piece of who I am-so I've decided to cooperate. If I collect enough hearts, I can complete Kingdom Hearts. Then I'll be whole. _


	7. Nobody's Concern

**7 - Nobody's Concern**

**I apologize for the **_**long**_** hiatus prior to posting this chapter.**

**I'd sort of well... lost interest and got involved in other projects and I got caught up in other games, too.**

**I do hope to get this series finished or somewhere close, so don't worry :D**

# # #

The day started off as always; Roxas woke up to the blank white ceiling of his room, quickly getting up and jumping out of his bare bed. Opening the equally lifeless door, he walked silently down the bland grey hall into The Grey Area.

Before Roxas could even stop and look around the room, he was quickly greeted by one of the Members.

"Good morning, Roxas," he said, brushing away some of his unkempt, light blue hair. The Member had a slim build, and looked a little younger than most of the other Members. Across his face was a frown befitting his uncaring voice, one of his dead serious, blue eyes mostly hidden by hair. By his side, he was holding a large, dark book.

"I am No. VI, Zexion," he introduced bluntly. "I shall be joining you on your mission today. Take care of what you need to do, and then check in with Saïx." He opened up his book and began reading at a quick pace. Roxas spotted the Organization's symbol on the front, followed by several strange characters. "I am all ready to go."

With that, Zexion turned and walked away to one of the grey couches, still reading that odd book.

As per his usual routine, Roxas decided to converse with the Members currently present in the room before work.

By one of the couches stood No. V, Lexaeus. He was definitely one of the physically strongest Members Roxas had met, with a large, muscular build accompanied by a gallant face. His arms were crossed and eyes closed, as if in deep thought. He would not say a word to Roxas, which didn't really surprise him.

Standing proudly by the window was Marluxia, gazing out at the moonless sky of The World That Never Was. Upon seeing Roxas, he turned quickly and looked at the younger Member with such fascination. "The Keyblade wielder's power..." Marluxia said in an interested tone, "How fascinating." He then tucked back a lock of his pink hair, and turned to observe the sky once again.

Lastly, Roxas decided to speak with Zexion once more, who was still on the couch reading the large black book. "If you've finished preparing, you need to report to Saïx, not me," he said, turning a page lazily.

Roxas took his word and spoke to Saïx by the middle of the window. The blue-haired Nobody turned and summoned a Corridor of Darkness, telling Roxas to do his best in a nonchalant expression. Roxas walked into the dark sphere, enveloped by its smoke and soon disappearing altogether.

# # #

Out of the Dark Corridor, Roxas and Zexion stepped out onto the quiet ground of Twilight Town. The bright setting sun was becoming familar to No. XIII, who basked in its orange, welcoming light. It shone on several tall buildings around the two Nobodies, casting large shadows on their already dark faces.

Zexion turned to catch Roxas's attention. "Your mission is to eliminate a set quantity of Heartless," he informed. "The Organization may call upon you to meet other objectives - perform recon, for example." Roxas wondered what recon was with a puzzled face. Zexion continued. "But regardless of the task you have been given, your primary orders still hold. You and that Keyblade of yours serve us best by collecting hearts."

Roxas pondered for a moment, then looked back at No. VI. "So, even if I'm given another job, I should keep taking out Heartless while I do it?"

Zexion nodded. "Correct. Today, however, the two happily coincide. Your mission is to eliminate seven Heartless. Quite simple, is it not?"

"Yes," Roxas replied.

"Alright then. We shall begin." With that, Zexion opened his large black book. _He reads everywhere he goes?_ Roxas wondered.

Roxas summoned the Keyblade, grasping the silver handle with both hands.

The two ran down a dark brown trail to their right, Zexion still holding out his open book. In only a few steps, a small yellow Heartless popped up before them. It was cloaked in a yellow robe and pointy orange hat, making its black head look as if it were cast in shadow. Yellow, beady eyes blinked and stared at the Nobodies.

The Heartless floated up, a yellow aura suddenly surrounding it. A few seconds later, some stray bolts of lightning struck the ground, just faintly missing Roxas and Zexion. The former was stunned for a moment, but used the opening to rush up and strike the Heartless with two swings from the Keyblade. The mage-like creature fell to the ground, evaporating into a black smoke, a glowing heart floating out and into the open sky.

"Good work," Zexion complimented. "Keep that up and this mission will be finished quickly."

# # #

Roxas and Zexion continued about their work, navigating both the roads and rooftops in search of Heartless.

After the seventh Heartless disappeared and released its captive heart, Roxas willed the Keyblade to leave and turned to Zexion.

"All done. I defeated the number of Heartless you said. Now we get to RTC, right?"

Zexion looked at the younger Member with some disbelief. "Leave, already?" He closed his book. "I, for on, would apply myself a bit more."

"But I-"

"Yes, yes, you did as your were asked. Mission accomplished... but..."

He turned to his left, where another of the yellow, mage-like Heartlesses appeared.

"As you can plainly see," Zexion said, pointing to it, "There are still Heartless wandering about." As he finished his sentence, the Heartless quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Zexion looked back at Roxas. "You don't have to eliminate them all. It's your choice. Just like I don't have to respect you for slinking back to the castle while there's still work to be done." He said this last point with a hint of contempt. "And if that doesn't matter to you, just remember the Organization rewards those who make the extra effort."

Roxas thought for a moment. "I... guess I don't have much else to do, so I'll continue."

"Good choice," Zexion said with a slightly lighter expression. "Starting good work ethics early will pay off in the long run. Let us move, then, before we waste too much time here."

# # #

The two once again traversed the section of the town, finding and eliminating some Heartless they hdan't seen before.

With the last of these extra enemies felled, Zexion closed his book. "Much better. I trust you'll exhibit equal diligence in your missions going forward." He outstretched his gloved hand, summoing a Dark Corridor. He turned to Roxas before entering.

"Yeah, umm... Just what is Kingdom Hearts? Marluxia said it was some kind of... force." Roxas had been thinking about this since yesterday, when the pink-haired Member had mentioned it.

"Yes...?" Zexion asked.

"And when I defeat the Heartless, those hearts pop out and become part of Kingdom Hearts, right? But like, what's the point?"

Zexion looked up to the orange-hued sky. "Kingdom Hearts will complete us," he said with more force than usual. "That's the Organization's goal."

"Complete us?" Roxas still didn't comprehend all of this. "Complete us how?"

"Roxas, you and I and all the Organization's members are what we call Nobodies."

"Well, that's not very nice," Roxas said in a slightly annoyed tone.

Zexion shook his head. "With a capital N. It's a name, for those of us who are missing a vital piece of who we are," He pointed to his chest. "A heart."

Roxas looked down at his own chest, feeling it with his left hand. "I don't have a heart?" It was a strange revelation, and confused him further.

Zexion nodded, resting his chin on his hand. "Correct. Like all of us, you entered the world without one. But you can help us get them. Kingdom Hearts is made of the very things we lack - a multitude of hearts.

"It has the power to complete us. Are you starting to see why you're so important? Each of us has a vital role in the Organization. Yours is collecting hearts."

Roxas thought this over for a moment. "Yeah, I get it."

"Well, I just hope we count on you to "get it" done." He turned towards the Dark Corridor. "Any more questions?"

Roxas hung his head and shook it. "No... sorry."

"Then we should be getting back." Zexion gestured towards the Corridor. "Come on."

The two Nobodies walked into the dark sphere and disappeared with it. All the while, Roxas thought of what it meant to have a heart.

_I found out that I was a Nobody - that I was incomplete. Just like the rest of them, I came into the world without a heart. Would it have made a difference? If I had a heart... would that make me sombody?_


	8. Whispers

**8 - Whispers**

Grey walls, grey couches, moonless night sky; that's what Roxas saw, as he walked once again into the rightfully named Grey Area.

After only a few steps into the room, Saïx immediately walked over to him, his face still as lifeless as the room around him.

"Roxas," Saïx greeted in a cold manner. "Larxene will be your partner today."

"Larxene... right. Um..."

Roxas recalled No. XII: the only woman in the Organization, being slightly petite as well. Her electric blond hair was almost shoulder-length, with two strands hanging over her head like antennae. Though Larxene's face looked a little more lively than the others, it was accompanied by strong, aqua blue eyes and a haughty voice unlike any other Roxas had heard in his short life.

After reminiscing, No. XIII surveyed the room, expecting to find the other blond Member lounging somewhere. Instead, the only other Nobody in the room was No. II Xigbar, lazing about on a couch, and No. IV Vexen standing by the left-most wall.

"She's already left," Saïx informed. "Meet her on-site."

Roxas hung his head a little. "Oh... all right." She was probably more active than the others was what Roxas thought, from how much more energetic she appeared.

Saïx caught his attention once again. "This time, we expect you to try out magic for a change, instead of relying solely on the Keyblade."

Magic? From what Roxas had begun learning on his own, science disproved the existence of magic. However, recalling how he summoned the Keyblade, and how the Heartless was able to summon lightning bolts the day before, he guessed magic probably did exist.

Now, Roxas asked the obvious question. "Magic? I know magic?"

"Only if you arm youself with some before you leave for the mission," Saïx informed. "See me when you are ready."

# # #

Several minutes later, Roxas stuffed the Panel Grid into his pocket.

A white, winged creature known as a Moogle had taught Roxas how to equip Magic Panels. He'd instructed the blond Nobody to fit the square pieces onto a small black board, like a jigsaw puzzle. To use Magic, all Roxas had to was out the Spell's name. When he used a Spell, its respective Panel would deactivate until Roxas RTC'd.

Now, with the Panel Grid hidden in one of Roxas's pockets, he decided to converse with the other Members present in the Grey Area.

On one of the bleak grey couches was No. II Xigbar. The high-ranking member had his long, jet black hair combed back, with some grey streaks present. There were noticeable scratches on his cheeks, along with a black eye-patch over one of his bizzarely yellow eyes. Despite being one of the higher Members, Xigbar spoke with a carefree and laid-back voice.

"Get practicing so you can make yourself useful," he encouraged wryly.

Roxas then walked over to the wall closest, where No. IV Vexen was thinking with a sly smile. His long, fair blond hair reached down to his shoulders and back, green eyes and a mischeivous smile on his long face.

"Hee hee..." Vexen snickered to himself. "Interesting so much to inspect... To dissect..."

The last bit made Roxas raise an eyebrow, but he let that pass as he walked back to Saïx in order to finally begin the mission.

"Are you ready to go?" asked the blue-haired Nobody without chalance.

"Okay."

Already, the Dark Corridor appeared, Roxas disappearing in its smoke just as quickly.

# # #

Sunlight was the first thing Roxas saw; he'd become accustomed to it by now. He was, of course, in the sleep Twilight Town again. This time, however, he was standing in a large, open sandlot surrounded by orange-brown buildings. A few feet away was the tell-tale coat of the Organization, worn by none other than No. XII.

Roxas walked over to Larxene, who gave him a wry smile. "Nice of you to show up," she said to him.

"Umm, hi." It felt a little awkward greeting her, after their last meeting ended in angry yells.

Immediately after his greeting, Larxene's eyes hardened and her smile melted into a frown, releasing irritated words. "Ugh, this is the worst. Whose idea was it to send me along on your stupid baby mission? Do I look like I run a nursery school?"

Roxas just listened to her, feeling too ashamed to say anything.

"Let Demyx handle this stuff. It's not like he's good at anything else."

Still, Roxas stayed silent as the town around them.

Larxene turned back to him, aggravated. "What? WHAT? You got something to say?"

Roxas shook his head quickly. "No..."

The female Member looked away again in disgust. "Pfft, you'd be nothing with that Keyblade," she said angrily. She looked back at him again, her mouth arching back into a crooked smile. "...Oh ho!" she exclaimed. "I just got an idea."

_Uh-oh_, Roxas thought with good reason.

"You can do today's mission," Larxene explained, "WITHOUT your Keyblade."

Roxas was shocked. "What? Why!" Had she expected him to use his bare but gloved hands? _Maybe if I were Lexaeus_, Roxas thought.

Larxene frowned again. "Because I said so, that's why! Saïx told you to practice magic today, didn't he? Well, sink or swim."

Roxas clearly recalled the blue-haired Member's bidding, but felt he was still too inexperienced in the magics to use it in combot just yet. "Yeah - sink!" he yelled back. "I don't know how to use magic."

"Well, you're never gonna learn if you keep whipping around that giant oversized key." She eyed the Keyblade, which caused Roxas to pull it back out of embaressment.

"Yeah, but..." Roxas tried to argue, but was interrupted.

A couple of feet away from the two Nobodies, a strange flower-like creature popped out onto the sandlot. The red and black heart symbol was on its stem, along with beady yellow eyes and a totally black mouth between the petals, which unmistakenably marked it as a Heartless.

Larxene sighed in relief. "Ah, perfect. There's a Heartless. Go on, take it out - and you have to use magic! I'll stand here and watch."

_Thanks_, Roxas thought sarcastically. If he were to be injured, he'd blame it on Larxene.

With that in mind, Roxas ran up to the Heartless cautiously. The plant monster saw him, and spit out what seemed to be a seed covered in green... goo. Roxas dodged it easily out of reflex, but was stuck after he realized it had fired more than one. The seed stained on his coat, and noticeably hurt on impact. Whatever these things were, Roxas wasn't keen on collecting more, both for health and sanitary reasons.

Roxas readied his Keyblade to stike, but... _Wait_, Roxas thought, _I have to use magic._ Dodging yet another barrage of seeds, he concentrated on a Fire Spell, pointing his Keyblade at the target. A second later, a fireball shot out of the blade's tip, searing the plant to black smoke. Within seconds, a glowing heart floated up into the twilight sky.

_I did it_, Roxas assured himself. _Using magic isn't that difficult after all._

As he finished thinking this, several Heartless appeared around the sandlot.

"Ooh ooh, here comes some more," Larxene cried out excitedly behind Roxas. "Go on, wipe 'em out!"

Roxas didn't reply, contemplating what to do. He had just used one of his Fire Spells, which meant he had two left. However, there were five Heartless, meaning he didn't have enough Magic left.

Larxene promptly rolled her eyes. "Ugh, at the speed you move, we'll be here all month... Go ahead." She pointed at the Keyblade. "You can use your Keyblade this time.

Roxas turned around, confused. "Wait, what happened to learning magic?"

"Do you to finish this awful mission or don't you?" Larxene retorted. "Just get to it."

Roxas turned his back to her. _Well, since you asked so nicely..._

"Oh, by the way," Larxene said, "If you need to heal... do it yourself."

This didn't surprise No. XIII, who just replied with silence.

# # #

After much slashing, burning, electric shocks, and seed barrages (with some caught on his once spotless coat), Roxas willed the Keyblade away and walked back to his mentor for the day.

She was less than amused. "Sheesh, about time. Worst. Mission. Ever..."

Roxas just hung his head, staring at the ground and the numerous stains on his uniform.

"If you're our big-shot Keyblade wielder," Larxene continued, "Then we're in deep doo-doo."

No words from Roxas still.

Larxene crossed her arms, looking at the younger Member. "You'd better pull it together, or we'll never finish Kingdom Hearts." She then said, though softer, "Unless, of course, we put somebody else on Keyblade duty..."

Roxas looked up in disbelief. "What? You have somebody else?" Another Keyblade wielder... Why hadn't anyone told him?

No. XII just glared at him. "None of your beeswax. You just worry about defeating Heartless and collecting hearts for us. Maybe, one day, you'll be almost mediocre at it." She said her last point with a mix of hopefulness and mockery, mostly the latter.

Roxas just sighed, knowing she'd never tell him.

"Ugh, let's go - before you kill any more of my brain cells." Larxene summoned a Corridor, walking over to it quickly. As the smoke enveloped him, Roxas thought about the whispers he'd heard from her.

_They taught me that my Keyblade releases hearts. But why do I have it? How did I learn to use it? The more I learned, the less I seemed to know._


End file.
